get your nose ready!

We are now on the second ‘E’ in the word SHEPHERD, in the series on our values. This ‘E’ is for “Engaging Culture”. Once again Sharon’s message was quite clear: that this is about influencing the world for Christ; as Jesus asks us in Matt. 5 to be salt and light.

How do we influence?

by the power of our example (Eph. 5:8, “…Live as children of light…”);

by the power of the Truth (Eph. 5:9-12, “…everything exposed by the light becomes visible..”);

by the power of divine opportunities (Eph. 5:15-19, “…making the most of every opportunity…”).

Those last verses also talk about being filled with the Spirit (rather than being drunk on wine), and Sharon reminded us that when we’re praying for opportunities, they do start showing up!

Also, what we like about the “salt” idea, is that salt doesn’t have to do anything–it just has to be. It has many qualities: preserving, enhancing taste, etc. So when we just live our lives as Christians (praying and being filled with the Spirit), we tend to expose the Truth to people, without even trying.

But the main point about “Engaging Culture” is found in the title that Sharon gave to her sermon: “Worldly Christians or World Christians?” (Some Christians think they should separate from the world or they will become too “worldly”.) Because if we’re going to be salt and light and expose the Truth, we can only do it by being IN the world, not hiding away from it… “under a bushel”. Meaning, we need to be involved, as our values statement says it, “…addressing the culture with the Gospel in terms that are current.”

I love this way of saying it: we look around and see what God is already doing, and join Him, because as someone else said, “God does not call the prepared–He prepares the ones He has called”. Yay!